Five and One with Christa Shalhoub
In honor of the newly-minted "Help a PR Pro Out" Day, today's guest on the "Five and One" is Christa Shalhoub, a talented PR professional from the suburbs of Detroit, and creator of "Christa Shalhoub's Recession Tips."
We go way back to our days answering phones in Ford Motor Company's Media Information Center. She's a relentless pursuer of the story, with the fiery attitude that is often needed in this crazy business of ours. And I mean that in a good way.
You can find her on Twitter at @ChristaS.
Let's get to it.
Brad: You were, unfortunately, a victim of the recession. What was that like?
Christa: Everyone is really a victim of the current recession. Even before I was laid off last year, my spending habits definitely changed, and instead of buying something, I would think to myself, "don't get it – we're in a recession." At first it was a joke and something I said all the time, but then I lost my job due to layoffs and really began to think of the current economy and how to control my spending. I am extremely fortunate. I have amazing parents, siblings and extended family that I can lean on when things get tough. Since no one was waiting on my paycheck to buy groceries, I took the time off to sleep, catch up on reality TV and spend time with my niece and nephew.
Brad: But "Christa Shalhoub's Recession Tips" was kind of born out of your unexpected free time, right? You know, when you weren't watching "Keeping Up With the Kardashians"?
Christa: Not just from my free time, but really from always thinking about how I could really stop spending like I used to, before money was tight.
Brad: How did you come up with the idea?
Christa: I realized that avoiding spending wasn't that hard and I needed to make people around me aware of my need to change. This way, when I was taking all the leftovers from my parent's house, letting my big brother pick up the bill for dinner and unplugging all the appliances in my apartment, it made sense to everyone. Also, some of my tactics were a little weird and since I am clearly hilarious [Editor's note: Clearly.], it just made sense to share my crazy with everyone. These tips allowed people into the life of someone who wasn't working, staying up late and trying to just get by. People could relate to everything I was saying and, luckily, I was able to communicate it all through humor. Of course, not all of them are as funny as I want them to be, but I am not perfect.
Brad: What has been the reception?
Christa: The reception has been great! I know this because originally I was providing the tips on my own personal page and then one day I wrote a normal status update and people got annoyed that it wasn't a recession tip. That is what really made me realize people liked them and that my genius and humor needed their own domain. I also judge how funny each tip is based on the "likes" and comments. If nobody interacted with a post, I know it wasn't that funny.
Brad: You recently surpassed the 500 fans mark. Any plans to take it out of Facebook, so to speak?
Christa: Ideally, I would love to write a book which would include new tips that haven't been showcased on Facebook yet. Until then, I am happy growing my fan base on Facebook and challenging myself with new and creative ways to avoid finding my pocket book.
Brad: Finally, I ask everyone a random question that has nothing to do with the communications field. Here's yours: If there's one movie out there that describes your life, what is it? And, why?
Christa: The original "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." We all feel a little like Charlie Bucket sometimes. We are always a day late and a step behind, until we get the Golden Ticket and our dreams come true. Then we spend the day with a bunch of annoying kids, drink the fizzy lifting juice and get screwed out of the chocolate. I am just waiting for a crazy man to give me his factory.
Brad: Bonus question! Ideally, what type of work are you looking for?
Christa: In a perfect world, I would love to continue my career in PR and marketing, while staying in the Detroit area. My PR skills are pretty awesome and I have provided media relations support for major corporations like Microsoft. I would love to work for a company that is passionate about communications and is looking toward different digital and social platforms to share their message.
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